A passenger boarding bridge (PBB) connects an airplane with a terminal building via a tunnel. The tunnel may be extendible and in particular comprises at least two tunnel sections, which can be telescoped for adjusting the length of the tunnel to the distance between an airplane door and the terminal building. The tunnel is movably supported by a drive unit, which can be mounted below a lift system. The lift unit is used to adjust the height of the tunnel so that the end of the tunnel facing the airplane is aligned to the door of the airplane. At the end of the tunnel facing the airplane a cabin is located, which constitutes the airplane side area of the boarding bridge. A movable canopy constitutes a housing of the cabin, which is adaptable to the shape of the airplane fuselage.
EP 2 803 587 A1, FIG. 1 of which is shown as FIG. 1 in this application, discloses a passenger boarding bridge having a canopy 10. The canopy 10 comprises a bellow roof (not shown), terminating in a plane facing flexible frame 6 having an upper bumper 8 at the upper area of the flexible frame 6. During operation the shape of the canopy 10 is to be adjusted to the shape of the fuselage of the airplane in the area, where the PBB is connected to the fuselage.
FIG. 2 shows schematically a cross-section of the fuselage 1 of an Airbus A380. The upper PBB 2U is docked to a door in the second floor of the A380; the lower PBB 2U is docked to a door in the first floor of the A380. Due to the inclination of the fuselage in the second floor the canopy requires an increased range of operation, compared to a usual passenger boarding bridge. In particular, a large lateral shifting range X of the upper passenger boarding bridge is required.
Therefore in the canopy shown in EP 2 803 587 A1 the shape of the frame can be adjusted to the shape of the airplane fuselage 1 by a complex suspension system on each side of the canopy, each comprising several levers 14a-d and two actuating cylinders 16. The kinematics of the levers 14a-d enables that the lateral shifting range X is larger than the range of operation of the cylinder upper cylinder 16U. The lower cylinder 16L is provided to support the levers in a vertical direction.
Thus a need exists for an improved canopy, in particular comprising a simplified suspension system, and providing a comparable or increased range of operation with respect to conventional solutions.